Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 7, 1863
Title
Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 7, 1863
Subject
Description
Capers writes of his journey from Augusta to Jackson, Mississippi by train. He tells Lottie that many men have left to see their families and that ladies wait for the soldiers at the different stations to give them roses. He also tells Lottie that he wants her to leave Charleston because he thinks it will be attacked. He tells her how much he misses her and the children and how grateful he is that they are safe and comfortable when so many others are not.
Creator
Source
A1961.1, Box 3, Folder 10
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Relation
Ellison Capers Collection
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/490
Date Valid
Audience
Text
[Page 1]
On the Georgia R.R. Thursday, May 7th/63
My own dear wife
We have just fairly left Augusta, & I have taken out my paper to write you a little when-ever we stop, for I can’t write well this way. It is now nearly 12 P.M., and we left Augusta at 11 ¼. I did not see Henry, as I expected, and I fear I will miss Esther. The first time we stop I will continue. Well, my darling, we made our first stop about 16 miles from Augusta. I really feel relieved now that we have passed the homes of our men. The Col. left me at Branchville. On the So. Ga. Road, four of our companies passed their homes, & over 100 have stopped to say good bye, though without permission. I have left officers at Augusta to bring them on, though I do not regard them as deserters. Many of these poor fellows have not seen their families in over a year. 43 from one company, & 34 from another left us between George’s Station and Branchville. I will mail this letter at Atlanta, D.V. & you must write to me, my darling, & direct to Jackson, Miss. I will write to Billy from this train &
[Page 2]
mail at Atlanta. The place we stopped at was quite a beautiful place, where the passenger trains stop for dinner. I suppose there were twenty ladies on the platform, waving their handkerchiefs and a large Confederate flag, & with roses in abundance. A large very pretty rose was sent me, with the announcement that it was from a lady of Charleston. They are boarding at that pretty place, & are refugees. The ladies all along wave their handkerchiefs to us, & give the men flowers, when we stop.
Henry’s Brigade was ordered to Jackson, with us, but he managed to get his battalion out of the order, & will remain in Savannah. I suppose our destination will be somewhere near Vicksburg. At any rate direct to Jackson until you hear otherwise. It is now 3 ½ P.M. & Bowie proposes that we take something to eat.
4 ½ P.M. We took some bread & ham, my angel, & some hard boiled eggs, & are now stopped for wood & water about 57 miles from Augusta. How unfortunate for me that I left my cap & glass! You might send the cap by mail, but the glass you must not risk. Yesterday evening, about sunset, I
[Page 3]
sat down in the conductor’s room of our car, & thought of you, my sweet, precious wife, & my dear Frank & Sue, getting ready for bed, & now, this afternoon, as the sunset hour approaches, I see my little girl, with her feet in the tub, & Frank’s pretty little form, sitting in the water, & their dear mother with them. We are off again.
As we get to Atlanta just before day I may not have an opportunity to mail this, so I will drop it in one of the first Post Offices I come to now. We are now 75 miles, & have just caught up with the 8th Geo. Batt. It is nearly sunset, & I expect that my angels are all upstairs. I will write you, my dear angel, all along the way, & as soon as we get to Jackson. Keep your brave, noble heart, my Lottie, & may God’s blessings be ever with you. I will never cease to see you, & Frank, at the window, as you stood there, to wave me good bye. My noble little son kissed me, as though he knew that I was going away. I have written to Billy. Mr Sage or Ben White will meet you in Charleston, with great pleasure. I wrote that Bissell didn’t have the
[Page 4]
shoes, & that Mr Sage would try and get them for you. You must not hesitate to write him, Lottie, & regard Lady as simply crazy. Sage came to the Depot to see me off, & was as delicate & affectionate in his attention as Oddy would have been. Our Quartermaster is in Charleston, & I will not be able to draw my pay until he comes. Clarence has just come in to say that we wait here, an hour, for the mail train, so I will devote it to you, & [illegible] until it is too dark to write. I will be “too” anxious to hear from you. I gave Mr Stevens $10 to get stamps, & told him to tell you that I wanted you to send me $5 worth. You can send me $1 at a time, until you send the $5. When you write direct thus: Lt. Col. E. Capers, 24th, S.C.V., Gists Brigade, Jackson, Miss. While it occurs to me, my dear Lottie darling, let me remind you that Billy owes me $50 you know. Take care of his note. It will be good. I asked him about the check, & you can talk to him about it when you see him. As soon as you can do so, my darling, I want you to move.
[Page 5]
I believe Charleston will be attacked, & I want you settled before then. You must write to Billy fixing the day when he is to meet you in Charleston, & give him time to answer you. Tell him I say you will pay his expenses. How did the sugar & biscuits suit? I have $2.50 for (a pound) the crush sugar! and $1.25 for the lump of camphor. My darling, when I think of the absolute distress, & heart & physical suffering of so many of my men, who leave their families, after an absence of many months, totally, in many cases, dependent upon the charities of the state, & many of these men, high loved & sensitive poor men. Oh! how grateful I am, that my dear angels, are cared for & comfortable. My position, or comfort, is nothing in my eyes. Yours is everything. It is growing dark, my sweet wife. This time, day before yesterday, we were playing with our dear little boy in his crib. I trust he is well, & that Sue’s cough is better. Good bye for this time, my dear Lottie. Kiss my little ones. Love to [illegible] & all. Your Ellison
On the Georgia R.R. Thursday, May 7th/63
My own dear wife
We have just fairly left Augusta, & I have taken out my paper to write you a little when-ever we stop, for I can’t write well this way. It is now nearly 12 P.M., and we left Augusta at 11 ¼. I did not see Henry, as I expected, and I fear I will miss Esther. The first time we stop I will continue. Well, my darling, we made our first stop about 16 miles from Augusta. I really feel relieved now that we have passed the homes of our men. The Col. left me at Branchville. On the So. Ga. Road, four of our companies passed their homes, & over 100 have stopped to say good bye, though without permission. I have left officers at Augusta to bring them on, though I do not regard them as deserters. Many of these poor fellows have not seen their families in over a year. 43 from one company, & 34 from another left us between George’s Station and Branchville. I will mail this letter at Atlanta, D.V. & you must write to me, my darling, & direct to Jackson, Miss. I will write to Billy from this train &
[Page 2]
mail at Atlanta. The place we stopped at was quite a beautiful place, where the passenger trains stop for dinner. I suppose there were twenty ladies on the platform, waving their handkerchiefs and a large Confederate flag, & with roses in abundance. A large very pretty rose was sent me, with the announcement that it was from a lady of Charleston. They are boarding at that pretty place, & are refugees. The ladies all along wave their handkerchiefs to us, & give the men flowers, when we stop.
Henry’s Brigade was ordered to Jackson, with us, but he managed to get his battalion out of the order, & will remain in Savannah. I suppose our destination will be somewhere near Vicksburg. At any rate direct to Jackson until you hear otherwise. It is now 3 ½ P.M. & Bowie proposes that we take something to eat.
4 ½ P.M. We took some bread & ham, my angel, & some hard boiled eggs, & are now stopped for wood & water about 57 miles from Augusta. How unfortunate for me that I left my cap & glass! You might send the cap by mail, but the glass you must not risk. Yesterday evening, about sunset, I
[Page 3]
sat down in the conductor’s room of our car, & thought of you, my sweet, precious wife, & my dear Frank & Sue, getting ready for bed, & now, this afternoon, as the sunset hour approaches, I see my little girl, with her feet in the tub, & Frank’s pretty little form, sitting in the water, & their dear mother with them. We are off again.
As we get to Atlanta just before day I may not have an opportunity to mail this, so I will drop it in one of the first Post Offices I come to now. We are now 75 miles, & have just caught up with the 8th Geo. Batt. It is nearly sunset, & I expect that my angels are all upstairs. I will write you, my dear angel, all along the way, & as soon as we get to Jackson. Keep your brave, noble heart, my Lottie, & may God’s blessings be ever with you. I will never cease to see you, & Frank, at the window, as you stood there, to wave me good bye. My noble little son kissed me, as though he knew that I was going away. I have written to Billy. Mr Sage or Ben White will meet you in Charleston, with great pleasure. I wrote that Bissell didn’t have the
[Page 4]
shoes, & that Mr Sage would try and get them for you. You must not hesitate to write him, Lottie, & regard Lady as simply crazy. Sage came to the Depot to see me off, & was as delicate & affectionate in his attention as Oddy would have been. Our Quartermaster is in Charleston, & I will not be able to draw my pay until he comes. Clarence has just come in to say that we wait here, an hour, for the mail train, so I will devote it to you, & [illegible] until it is too dark to write. I will be “too” anxious to hear from you. I gave Mr Stevens $10 to get stamps, & told him to tell you that I wanted you to send me $5 worth. You can send me $1 at a time, until you send the $5. When you write direct thus: Lt. Col. E. Capers, 24th, S.C.V., Gists Brigade, Jackson, Miss. While it occurs to me, my dear Lottie darling, let me remind you that Billy owes me $50 you know. Take care of his note. It will be good. I asked him about the check, & you can talk to him about it when you see him. As soon as you can do so, my darling, I want you to move.
[Page 5]
I believe Charleston will be attacked, & I want you settled before then. You must write to Billy fixing the day when he is to meet you in Charleston, & give him time to answer you. Tell him I say you will pay his expenses. How did the sugar & biscuits suit? I have $2.50 for (a pound) the crush sugar! and $1.25 for the lump of camphor. My darling, when I think of the absolute distress, & heart & physical suffering of so many of my men, who leave their families, after an absence of many months, totally, in many cases, dependent upon the charities of the state, & many of these men, high loved & sensitive poor men. Oh! how grateful I am, that my dear angels, are cared for & comfortable. My position, or comfort, is nothing in my eyes. Yours is everything. It is growing dark, my sweet wife. This time, day before yesterday, we were playing with our dear little boy in his crib. I trust he is well, & that Sue’s cough is better. Good bye for this time, my dear Lottie. Kiss my little ones. Love to [illegible] & all. Your Ellison
Collection
Citation
Capers, Ellison, 1837-1908, “Letter from Ellison Capers to his wife Lottie, May 7, 1863,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed May 9, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/490.